1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to unreeling apparatus and, in particular, to apparatus for providing a supply reel with a braking action.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many telecommunations installations it is necessary to effect some form of cross-connection. This cross-connection is typically effected by a jumper wire. Since the required length of the jumper wire is not always known in advance, it has proved most efficient to provide a reel of jumper wire with the equipment wherein the cross-connection equipment is mounted. To facilitate removal of the jumper wire from the reel, the reel is often mounted, for example, on a cabinet door housing the equipment.
Although this arrangement is somewhat convenient, it is not free of drawbacks. In particular, the mere mounting of the wire reel on the cabinet door does not take into account the inherent tendency of the reel, once it is started into rotary motion, to continue such motion. Consequently, a reel holder having capability for providing a braking action as the reel is rotated is highly desirable.
One form of friction brake used with a sewing machine thread supply spool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,615 issued to D. L. McCallister on Oct. 2, 1973. The McCallister device includes a pair of felt disks and a pair of felt wedges which are disposed between correspondingly diametrically opposite portions of the disks. A plastic strap is secured between the disks and between the wedges and the wedges and disks are in turn secured together. This assembly is slipped over a pin affixed to the horizontal portion of the sewing machine. Since the diameter of the apertures in the disks is smaller than the diameter of the pin, the disks and pin are held in frictional engagement.
At an opposite end of the plastic strap, there is another aperture on opposite sides of which are metal weights. After the felt disk assembly is fastened to the pin, a thin-walled sleeve is telescoped over it, the thread supply spool is slid over the sleeve and the weighted end of the strap coupled to the sleeve. The frictional engagement of the strap and the disk assembly with the supply spool tends to retard rotation of the spool and thus to prevent continued rotation of the spool in a thread unwinding direction in the event the operation of the sewing machine is suddenly terminated.
Another type of brake accessary that has been employed with toilet paper dispensers and the like is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,379 issued to M. Stern on Nov. 26, 1974. The Stern device is in the form of a spring clip that is made of a suitable material, such as steel, plastic or the like. The clip includes first and second legs that are joined by a curved portion. Each of the legs has an aperture through a central region for engaging the normal telescoping toilet paper holder spindle. On an outer surface of the leg nearest the roll is a tapered collar. This collar snugly fits into the end of the core of the roll. By virtue of the spring action exerted on the roll, the paper is prevented from being unwound too fast.
While both of the above-described devices serve a useful purpose, they are not readily usable for providing a braking action to a reel of wire. More specifically, the McCallister device requires that the supply spool be mounted horizontally or very close to horizontal. Since space within the telecommunications equipment cabinet is at a premium, such a mounting arrangement is not practical. As for the Stern device, it requires an already existing and in place roll mounting assembly. Consequently, there continues to exist a need for an inexpensive, easy to use, space saving, either horizontal or vertical mountable reel holder having capability for providing a braking action.